5 best players who scored a Premier League hat-trick as a substitute
The English Premier League has long been regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world, and it has housed some of the world's best players since its inception.
Due to the quality on show in the league, the level of competition among players is immense.
Managers only get to choose 11 players to start games, and sometimes, players have to find ways of making an impact off the substitutes' bench.
Only a handful of substitutes have scored a hat-trick in Premier League history
Managers often turn to their substitutes to help them salvage games by scoring goals. Some players, however, go even further by scoring multiple times for their teams after coming off the bench.
Seven substitutes have scored a Premier League hat-trick:
◎ Ole Gunnar Solskjær (1999)
◎ Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2004)
◎ Robert Earnshaw (2005)
◎ Emmanuel Adebayor (2008)
◎ Romelu Lukaku (2013)
◎ Steven Naismith (2015)
◉ Son Heung-min (2022)
Nice one, @Sonny7. https://t.co/pZ4yRakeaC
In the history of the Premier League, only seven players have ever scored a hat-trick after being introduced off the bench. So without further ado, here are the five best players who have scored a hat-trick as a substitute in the Premier League.
#5 Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (2004)
Before Didier Drogba turned up at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea had a big striker with similar attributes to the Ivorian. Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink was one of Chelsea's most prolific strikers in his time at the club, and he is particularly remembered for his exploits off the bench.
Hasselbaink once scored a hat-trick for Chelsea in their 5-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League in March 2004. The Dutch striker was introduced in place of Cameroon midfielder Geremi Njitap in the 60th minute, with Chelsea trailing 2-1 against a side that was bottom of the league.
Frank Lampard equalized for the Blues before the Dutch striker scored a hat-trick in the final 13 minutes to give his side a come-from-behind win.
Hasselbaink left Chelsea at the end of the 2003-04 season alongside manager Claudio Ranieri as Roman Abramovich began his revolution. The Dutchman remains a Premier League great due to his goalscoring exploits and he found the net 127 times in 288 appearances in the competition.
#4 Emmanuel Adebayor (2008)
Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayor had something of a journeyman career in England. The lanky striker enjoyed the most recognition and success in his career during his time as an Arsenal player. There, he earned the reputation of a ruthless finisher and once scored a hat-trick off the bench.
Adebayor was left on the bench as his Arsenal side took on Derby County in May 2008. He was introduced at half-time to replace Robin Van Persie, with his side holding a 2-1 lead. He scored thrice, including twice in the last ten minutes, as the Gunners ran out 6-2 winners on the day.
Adebayor controversially left Arsenal for Manchester City in 2009 before featuring for their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The Togolese striker also had a brief stint at Real Madrid. He currently plays for AC Semassi in his native Togo.
#3 Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer (1999)
Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer, famously known as the baby-faced assassin, is regarded as one of Premier League's most accomplished substitutes ever. The striker was accustomed to being introduced off the bench and had a knack for finding the back of the net when he was sent on as a substitute.
Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer scored four goals after coming off the bench for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest in February 1999. The Norwegian striker was brought on in place of Dwight Yorke in the 71st minute, with the Red Devils leading 4-1.
He went on to score four times in the last ten minutes of the encounter to become the first player to bag a hat-trick as a substitute in Premier League history. He is also the only player to score four times after coming off the bench in the history of the competition.
Solskjaer remained at Manchester United until his retirement in 2007. He scored 126 goals for the Red Devils and retired as a club legend. He returned to manage the club between 2018 and 2021 before being relieved of his duties.
#2 Romelu Lukaku (2013)
In a match that is fondly remembered as the last of Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary managerial career, a certain young Belgian striker came of age. Romelu Lukaku was on loan at West Bromwich Albion from Chelsea when he crashed Sir Alex's retirement party.
On the last day of the season, Lukaku scored a hat-trick off the bench for the Baggies as they played out an incredible 5-5 draw against Manchester United. The young striker was introduced at half-time for his side, with them trailing United 3-1.
He scored his first goal of the game to make it 3-2, before the Red Devils increased their lead to 5-2 with ten minutes left in the game.
The Belgian scored twice in the final ten minutes as the Baggies pulled off a miraculous draw against the league champions on the final day of the season.
Lukaku went on to leave Chelsea permanently the following season for Everton. The striker also featured for Manchester United and Inter Milan before an ill-fated second spell at Chelsea. He remains one of the league's top goalscorers.
#1 Heung-Min Son (2022)
South Korean star Heung-Min Son failed to find the back of the net in the opening eight matches of the 2022-23 season for Tottenham Hotspur. The ninth game saw a dramatic change to this statistic for the 2021-22 Golden Boot winner.
Son was left on the bench as Spurs manager Antonio Conte looked to other players to provide the spark for his side. The Korea international was introduced off the bench in the second half of a keenly contested match against Leicester City. At the time of his introduction, his side held a slender 3-2 lead before he scored thrice in a blistering 13-minute spell to give his side a comfortable win.
Son Heung Min has now scored 3 goals from 2.5 xG this season, meaning he has currently overperformed his xG in the Premier League for 7 straight seasons.
Son has been one of Tottenham Hotspur's most prolific players over the last couple of seasons. The forward has seen his stock rise steadily over time in the Premier League to become one of the league's stars.